I want to start putting out some antler growth feed in the spring. I was wondering if anyone has had any good results with the products out there and what products they use and the results. THere are alot of products out there, there is a dealer close that can get purina deer chow, has anyone had experience with this product? If not, what do you recomend?
I truely believe that the best antler growth comes from how fast bucks replenish themselves after the rut. Food plots are a big part of a healthy diet. Over the past 8 years myself along with our neighbors have planted a variety of brassica, clover, corn, and soybean foodplots. Not only have we noticed larger heavier antlers but the body size on a lot of the mature animals in the area are enormous compared to before the foodplots were placed. All the above aside I still put out salt with selenium in the spring to help fight off infection. The deer love it and will visit the mineral sight all season if replenished every so often.
Like dbl lung said, your best bet is to work hard towards replenishing the deer after the rut and the winter. A well fed buck that ends the winter healthy.. will not need to replenish as much in spring when antler growing starts, resulting in more nutrients for the antlers and maximum potential out of the antlers.
Diversity in food, habitat and minerals will help deer produce better antlers not necessarily more inches! Some bucks genetics just aren't set up to produce 150, 165 or 180 inch racks. When wanting to produce healthier bucks that reach their potential quicker you cannot expect that potential to always equal booners...some dominant 4 or 5 year olds will only sport a 120 inch rack....still a trophy though IMO. Also be careful with minerals...some states you can't do it, others only at certain times and others yet you would have to dig the ground up before season in order to be legal.
Most of my points are also here, but the thing I've noticed is the size of fawns at the 6 month or so age. Since we've started placing food plots, mineral sites, etc, the does we are seeing are much healtier, as well as the fawns at that 6 month size. We have a couple pics from 6 years ago and pics from last year, and in that 6 year timeframe it just amazes me the size and health difference. That is , IMO, a big deal. Early health = later in life health= later in life size. Look at it this way. The sooner you start, the sooner you see results. You can't go back to last year, so better start today. Monster Raxx is all over this site, and they have some great stuff, and it's on sale now. It's all important, and it all works together. Good Luck
Correct me if I'm wrong but antlers are full of calcium. So would a diet high in calcium and protein help grow a bigger rack? Although, I personally believe that it has to due with genetics and age.
For optimal antler growth there are alot of factors that work together. One of the most important and sometimes over looked is how healthy are the Doe's. When the fawns are healthy they are bound to get a better start. Genetics and age structure are really important also. You can help your deer be as healthy and big as possible but you arent going to get a 170" deer if it is not in their genes. Food plots are another factor in bigger and healthier deer, getting a chance to put wieght back on after the rut and having enough protien to help stay in as good of shape through the winter as possible will give the deer a better starting point in the spring. Protien feeds definetly help as well but you want to read the label to make sure it isnt cheap fillers. A good protien feed would have just over 20% protien and at least 6% crude fat. Minerals are another part of the equation, you want a balance mineral and vitamin mix that has the right ratios to work best for deer. I know I have said it before but I can not stress this enough salt is a salt lick not a mineral site, you do not want alot of salt. Selenium is another key component but too much is bad for the deer also, so you have to be careful how much is in the product that you use. Like others said Calcium helps but it works hand in hand with phosphorous in a 2 to 1 ratio. Any over that ratio of calcium and you might as well throw it in the garbage. Giving deer all of these advantages will get deer healthier, bigger and a greater chance to reach thier full potential. If a deer does not get enough protein, minerals, and vitamins in the winter, in the spring when they are getting ready to fawn or grow thier antlers deer will take care of skeletal deficiencies first. I know I mentioned it before but age structure is very important, bucks need time to develop. But I dont care if you let every buck live to 9 years old, if they do not have the potential or get the other items needed they will never be true giants.
Some good information here. My own perspective derived from a background first in biology, more recently in business and lastly lately medicine has thought me that in most things we need to look for our point of negative returns. That is something more wildlife managers need to learn. Time shouldn't be down played as it has a greater return then most of the other tools combined, that said it free and cant be sold. Its also more gratifying seeing deer utilizing your hard work when they hit our plots and mineral sites, rather then waiting a few years.
